MARINE surveys play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and longevity of maritime assets, from ships and offshore wind installations to offshore oil and gas units. Identifying and addressing defects resulting from corrosion is key to maintaining regulatory compliance and safeguarding the asset in question.

Addressing existing process challenges

Although shipyards are increasingly using 3D models for vessel design and construction, maintenance and repair planning have largely remained two-dimensional. Surveys are, however, already using drones to capture 360° images of a given asset.

This process generates vast amounts of data, including images, videos and LiDAR scans. Sorting through this information can be time consuming and resource intensive. In addition, asset managers may have to compare multiple datasets — including repair plans, reports and post-repair photos — from stakeholders across countries to address and resolve the survey findings.

Bureau Veritas has recently launched a new tool to improve the survey process: Augmented Surveyor 3D (AGS 3D). This tool extracts data points from the drone footage and maps them on to a 3D model of the asset. It then uses AI to highlight any areas of possible corrosion. From there, Bureau Veritas’ expert surveyors can investigate these sites directly, without having to look through hundreds of photos — saving valuable time and simplifying maintenance of the asset.

AGS 3D also includes a Viewpoint platform that facilitates communication between key stakeholders, provides easy access to in-depth data analytics and serves as a hub for asset integrity management. Viewpoint enables all stakeholders to seamlessly share data, fostering greater collaboration.

Improving asset integrity management and drydock planning

With AGS 3D, asset managers can more easily anticipate repairs, facilitating the allocation of resources in advance. The tool allows users to add comments, track measurements, attach repair photos, and reports directly to the defect points. This central hub ensures that key files don’t get misplaced, improving transparency at every step.

AGS 3D can be used on offshore oil and gas units, floating offshore wind installations and a wide range of ships. With the tool, shipowners, surveyors and other stakeholders can:

• Generate quick condition assessments
• Track defects across the asset’s lifecycle using unique IDs
• Visualise recorded thickness measurement data
• Create custom structural groups for ease of assessment
• Use defect analytics to inform decision-making
• Assign a risk level to detected anomalies to better prioritise maintenance order

Optimising modern technology

AGS 3D is bringing together the best aspects of drones, AI, machine learning and the expertise of human surveyors. The development of this tool underscores the possibilities that AI offers in the maritime space.

It is important to recognise that AGS 3D is about more than reducing inspection times. Our focus is on increasing the accuracy and objectivity of work, on protecting surveyors from work in potentially dangerous confined spaces and on freeing people to concentrate on more challenging, high-value-add tasks. Technology is not replacing people: Bureau Veritas specialists’ experience will always be a critical part of the equation.

Bureau Veritas, with its mission to be at clients’ side on the path to digital transformation, aims to provide a complete digital classification experience, covering the entire asset lifecycle: from design review and construction to operations and repair. AGS 3D joins the society’s existing solutions in making this possible, simplifying maintenance and repair planning for in-service assets,

To learn more, visit our dedicated webpage on AGS 3D